


The Naked Truth

by ExoticBuns



Category: RWBY
Genre: Bumbleby - Freeform, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Not Canon Compliant, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-08-26 20:22:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16688329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExoticBuns/pseuds/ExoticBuns
Summary: Once upon a time she wouldn't have thought twice about climbing into Blake's bed and talking about every bad dream she had until she ultimately fell back asleep, but that was a long time ago. They were both different people now.Blake released a tense breath. "I knew you were lying when you said things were fine.""Of course I was lying!"





	The Naked Truth

**Author's Note:**

> So much happened. So much still needs to happen. I'm dying. Help me.

Burning eyes followed her persistently and Yang could not seem to find herself free of them. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and a burst of purple flame erupted from the darkness. She jumped, tense as she hesitantly stepped forward to the charred spot it left as it dissipated. Blake lay on the cold ground, struggling against the hauntingly red blade wedged into her. Yang fell to her knees, the sound of Blake's pained screams echoing in the empty halls and returning to her like the haunting memories. Her ears had angled back as she screamed in agony and that damned monster had a grin on his face as he turned, mocking her with her helplessness. She couldn't do anything. She could only sit there, staring in horror as the love of her life was taken from her again.

Yang shot upwards in her makeshift cot, panting heavily as she struggled to breathe. Her chest felt tight, as did the clothes on her body, but as she brought a hand to her damp forehead it became very apparent to her that it was very cold. Right. They were in the cold, harsh wilderness of Solitas. And Blake was...

Yang felt fear grip her chest when she glanced over to where Blake had staked her claim. She had expected to find the faunus sleeping soundly, but instead she found empty covers. Yang threw the blanket off of herself, but hesitated before getting up. What was she thinking? Blake had probably just gotten up to get a drink or something. Surely there was a reasonable explanation. Surely she was fine. Really it was incredibly foolish of her to think that Blake might be in danger. Blake was fine. Perfectly safe.

Though it took seemingly endless deliberation, she had managed to convince herself that Blake was indeed safe and sound. Still, she felt a need to get up and look around. If not to find Blake, then to work off some of her nerves. She didn't want to try going back to sleep when the screams still echoed in her head, haunting even her waking thoughts. Ever since Blake had returned the nightmares grew more and more focused on her, on what that bastard had done to her. Yang knew the reason for this, though she actively tried to avoid thinking of it. There was still a lingering devotion there and she knew that Blake also held scars, though not all of them might be as obvious as hers.

She stepped into the hall and ignored the shiver that ran through her, tightening her coat around herself. She had dressed for Anima's weather, not Solitas, and she deeply regretted it. She cursed Ozpin for never informing them of the way the relic drew grimm. If it hadn't been for him they might never have even been on the train and they never would have crashed the stupid thing. As Yang grumbled under her breath, still rubbing the exhaustion from her eyes, she heard a clatter from the kitchen that caught her attention. Ignoring the possible dangers she quickly hurried to the entrance, gripping the doorway tightly as she peered inside. There she found in all her glory none other than Blake, still wincing from her accidental ruckus. She was going through cabinets for some reason and had accidentally disturbed some plates.

"What are you doing?" Yang asked her with a raised brow, an amused quirk of her lips as she noticed the can of sardines on the counter. She ignored the immense relief she felt, knowing that Blake was here and safe, back to her usual cabinet raiding self. She almost felt like they were back at Beacon, but she quickly dismissed that fleeting thought. Things were too different now. Nothing would ever again be like Beacon and she refused to linger on the past.

"I was...getting a snack." Blake answered her with an embarrassed frown, her ears tilting back to enhance the expression on her face. She ignored Yang's amusement as she peeled open the can. "There was no tuna. Don't judge me." She grumbled as she picked up a sardine with her fingers and hesitantly tasted it. She winced, but ate it anyway. "Anyway, what are you doing up?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing?" Yang shot back with a pointed look, cautious to divulge anything personal. Once upon a time she wouldn't have thought twice about climbing into Blake's bed and talking about every bad dream she had until she ultimately fell back asleep, but that was a long time ago. They were both different people now.

"That's fair." Blake relented, clearly knowing better than to dig any deeper. She seemed to hesitate and sighed as she ate another of the small fish. Yang wasn't sure how anyone could ever enjoy the taste of those things, but it was endearing how much Blake enjoyed all kinds of fish. "Couldn't manage to get back to sleep?" Blake asked her curiously. She understood what Blake was really asking, but couldn't bring herself to answer honestly. She already suspected that Yang had suffered a nightmare, though it wasn't as if it was uncommon for the blonde.

"Just a lot going on, you know?" Yang offered with an anxious smile, immediately feeling guilty for even attempting to lie. Why did she have to bump into Blake of all people? Why not Weiss or Qrow? At least neither of them were so familiar with what had happened. At least they weren't the ones she had nightmares about. She didn't want to have one of those heart-wrenching conversations when she was so exhausted, when it was cold, and she had the constant nagging fear that a grimm might attack at any given moment. Now wasn't the time. Then again it simply felt like it was _never_  the time.

"Yeah." Blake's voice was soft, unsure in her support. "Learning so much about Ozpin, Salem, and the gods...it's all so much to wrap your head around." Her lips cracked into an amused smile, though she quickly hid it behind her hand.

"What is it?" Yang asked her, frowning as though she had any reason to be upset with Blake over something so trivial as an amused thought. The faunus seemed to deliberate for a moment if it was truly the best course of action to reveal her thoughts, but ultimately must have decided that there could be no harm in it.

"The god of light is a sunny dragon." Blake answered her with a vague look that she feared overanalyzing. Her eyes grew pensive as she broke her gaze. "Just a...funny coincidence." Yang had never considered the comparison, though now that it was mentioned she felt uneasy being associated with a god. Especially one so strict and unforgiving.

"Yeah." Yang whispered her response, the uneasy feeling quickly engulfing her and adding weight to her already unbearable turmoil. There were simply so many emotions that seemed to choke her, from anger towards Ozpin to self-doubt and guilt. She couldn't seem to cope with any of it. Her thoughts drifted to the very real young woman that stood just a few feet from her, as did her eyes. It was still surreal to have her back after so many months of hopelessness, but what bothered her the most was likely that they were very clearly not back to normal just yet. In combat they moved like one person in two different bodies, like they could read each other's minds, just like how they used to be, but when the two of them were alone and faced with Blake's lengthy absence it was like an invisible wall that still kept the two separated. It was somehow even more frustrating when Yang could see her face but couldn't seem to gather the nerve to say anything. All the different things she dreamed of saying to her in those long months that killed her suddenly vanished every time they locked eyes.

"Did you also feel a bit bad for Salem?" Blake asked her daringly, a curious look in her eyes that seemed worried that she had already crossed a line. Yang scoffed, amazed that anyone could feel sympathy for such a scornful woman.

"She led humanity to their death and kept all of it secret from the man she loved. She's no better than Ozpin."

"I don't mean that." Blake's eyes lowered to the floorboards, some cracked and poking upwards. Her ears lowered and Yang suddenly wondered if they had become more expressive since Beacon or if she simply hadn't cared to notice. "She... just wanted the love of her life back. It was selfish, sure, but I don't think you can be in love and not be just a little selfish." Her words gave Yang pause and the blonde thoughtfully mulled over the concept in a painful silence that was only broken by the sound of cold wind outside.

"You would know?" She asked softly, regretting the risky question almost immediately afterward. She knew she didn't want to hear the answer, but she was now agitated and wasn't about to let Blake change her mind on the topic. Nobody should ever let love muddle their good judgement.

"I would." Blake answered hesitantly. Yang felt her chest tighten and cursed herself for it. It was someone else, she attempted to convince herself. Sun, maybe. Or someone else from Blake's past. "When you're in love sometimes you make stupid choices, and you should always face the consequences of those choices, but I don't think people should...hold it against you." Blake's expression was earnest and yet withheld, and Yang wondered if she was still speaking of Salem. A part of her doubted it. That uncertainty in Blake's eyes, silently begging to be forgiven but too scared to ask, was ultimately what convinced her to ask her most burning question.

"Is that why you left?" Yang asked her with an uneasy voice that betrayed how broken she still felt. No matter how insistent she was in convincing herself that she had moved past it, she still felt betrayed. "Because you _loved_  me?" Suddenly aware of how her words would be so easily misconstrued she quickly continued before Blake could reply. "I mean, I thought I was your _best friend_. But I woke up and you were gone and I didn't even have a note or-or _anything_!" She quickly stopped herself with a shaky breath before months of emotion spilled forth in the form of agonized sobs. Her hand shook almost painfully and she tried to ignore how Blake immediately noticed.

"Yang, I..." Her voice sounded pitiful and she quickly silenced herself again in attempt to wrangle her own wild emotions. She released a tense breath. "I knew you were lying when you said things were fine." She muttered.

"Of course I was lying!" Yang snapped, her foot slamming down an uneven floorboard. "There's so much going on in our lives and I don't have _time_  to worry about-about if you left b-because of this or that, or if you're even still my _friend_ , god, Blake, I spent months worrying about it and now that you're back I..." Her chest stuttered as she struggled for breath after the persistent babbling. Her gaze fell, her anger gone in place of distraught pondering. "I don't know how I should feel."

"Yang," Blake's voice was immensely gentle as she took a cautious step forward. Her partner was instinctively on her guard, careful not to let the faunus too close. "I know things have been crazy recently and that's certainly not helping all the unanswered questions between us. Ozpin lied to us even when we asked him directly, but I'm better than him so...just ask me and I'll answer completely honestly. I won't leave out anything." Amethyst eyes lifted to meet gold, uncertain and searching for any ounce of deceit that may be hidden in the faunus' gaze.

"Why did you leave without saying anything?" Her voice was so soft that Blake might not have heard it if not for the aching silence the late night offered them, as well as her sensitive ears. Yang felt stupid for asking, as if it wasn't obvious enough that Blake had completely shattered her. Still, she needed an answer. Blake took a steady breath as she prepared herself and Yang cursed her for making her feel bad when it was Blake who had left, _Blake_  who disappeared without a trace, _Blake_  who had _abandoned_ her.

"Adam, the man who hurt you, swore to me that he would destroy everything that I..." She hesitated and glanced away. "...that I cared about. So when I left I thought that it was to protect you." She hesitated and grabbed her arm tightly to herself. "I told myself, told others, that I couldn't stand by and watch my friends get hurt because of me. Sun helped me realize how selfish that was, that I was only hurting my friends by pushing them away. But..." She looked up and Yang felt her throat tighten and block every complaint and insult she had dreamt of shouting at the girl in front of her. "I think... a part of me was...honestly just scared to face you after what happened." Suddenly her eyes were gone again and Yang felt her hand twitch with the desire to reach out and capture her gaze again. "So I ran away. Like I always do." She scoffed at herself in annoyance and met Yang's eyes with sudden resoluteness. "But I'm never running away again. I promise."

Yang frowned, her lips pulled tight into a thin line as she considered the explanation. It was just as Weiss had told her; Blake was scared of her past coming between the team, of harming her friends. She felt light-headed and leaned against the doorway to give herself much needed support. That name suddenly came back to her attention. Adam Taurus. Blake knew the name of that waste of flesh and somehow...Yang had the feeling that there was much more than that. His promise to her indicated a strong bitterness, feelings of hatred between them, or at least his hatred directed at Blake. There was something more, and then Blake's affirmation from before rang in her head. _I don't think you can be in love and not be just a little selfish_. Blake had been in love before and while she had barely known Sun for a year, this man carried with him levels of unspoken familiarity and bitterness that had been cultivated for who knows how long.

"Do you..." Yang hesitated, her hand shaking as she couldn't help but imagine that stain on the world ever touching Blake in any way that even remotely resembled affection. "Do you know him? The..." Her mouth felt dry and she couldn't bring herself to clarify. Luckily there was no way Blake didn't know who she meant from the way she was struggling.

"Yes." She answered reluctantly, a clear expression of guilt on her face. "I..." She hesitated and stopped herself with a defeated sigh. "I won't hide anything from you, Yang. My partner from the White Fang, who I so stupidly compared you to during the tournament. That was him." Blake admitted, ears folded down to follow her downward gaze. Yang felt her fists clench uncomfortably tight as this admission brought back painful memories of cautionary distrust in her partner's eyes. She had understood where Blake had been coming from back then, but now, knowing for herself who it was that she had been compared to, her blood boiled with the infuriating thought that Blake could ever think such a thing.

"How could you ever compare me to him!?" She snapped, her voice louder than she had expected it to be. "He's a _murderer_! And he...he _hurt_  you, Blake!" She stepped forward suddenly, overcome with an incessant desire to prove to her just how wrong she was. "I would never..." Her voice softened and she turned away again. "I could never hurt you." She admitted weakly, ashamed that Blake could ever think that of her, even if she had made her anger so clear. She wasn't anything like him. No matter how betrayed she felt, she could never bring herself to hate her. If she was entirely honest she still yearned for Blake to simply smile at her, and that scared her most of all.

"I know that you're nothing like him, Yang." Blake quickly insisted, a pained look in her eyes. "It's just...I've been blinded by affection before and it was terrifying to think that it could happen again. I wasn't thinking rationally at the time. For goodness' sake, Yang, I'm _never_  thinking rationally when it comes to you!" Blake suddenly snapped, her expression betraying the uneasiness she felt with this fact. Yang felt her body tense, her lungs barely able to fill with air as she struggled not to assume.

"Wh-What does _that_  mean?" She asked with a shaky voice, fear no doubt very obvious in her eyes. Blake seemed to only now notice the full extent of her words and promptly remained silent for an uncomfortably long sequence of seconds, all while desperately scanning Yang's expression for any hints to her thoughts. "Blake." Yang didn't know what she wanted to say as she stepped forward. She might have been prompting Blake to answer, but she truly had no clue what she intended by saying the girl's name.

"You want the whole truth?" Blake's eyes narrowed, suddenly filled with frustration and yet still betrayed how she had agonized over her thoughts in that short amount of time that felt like an eternity too long. "The whole naked truth, out there on the table?" Blake snapped, her expression growing guarded as she took a step back. Suddenly their roles were reversed and Yang was reaching out once again to a broken girl with walls so high they seemed impregnable despite her countless attempts.

"That's what you said, wasn't it? You said that you wouldn't hide anything." Yang insisted, now painfully curious what Blake might be hiding. She tried so very hard not to assume, but her heart betrayed her and she looked too far behind Blake's words in attempt to find meaning behind them she wasn't even sure was there.

"Adam and I used to be lovers. I loved him more than anything and because of that I was blind to the fact that he had gone down the wrong path, a path that I couldn't stand following him down." Blake said with immense guilt in her eyes and Yang felt her hopeful curiosity replaced with that same burning anger that _he_  had been given the liberty to touch Blake in ways Yang didn't dare to dream of. "So I left the White Fang because I couldn't bring myself to be with him anymore, because I was scared of him. And I put up walls to protect myself, but then..." Blake hesitated and her lips tightened, her eyes filled with painful anxiety. "You wormed your way into my heart no matter how hard I tried to fight it. And that... _terrified_ me." She hazarded a glance and when their eyes met Yang felt a jolt between them at the heavy realization of her words. This was not ambiguous. It was not meant to be platonic, and that very fact weighed down on Yang's shoulders until she was pushed to her knees.

A harsh sob wracked her body and she covered her face with the only hand of hers that could feel the warm tears as they fell from her eyes. Her voice was shameless in its pained cries as every moment of hopeless pining came back to her full force and with it the realization that in all the months that Blake had been gone from her life, as much as she wanted to hate her, she had only fallen more hopelessly in love. The sleepless nights where she cursed Blake's name were indeed long nights where she wished endlessly for her partner to come back. She had tried so hard to forget about her, having lost hope that she would ever return, and when she had finally come back Yang was nearly floored with those feelings of affection surfacing all at once. She had been adamant in keeping the faunus at arm's length, but one hesitant confession from her had Yang so dearly wishing that her feelings had been reciprocated. All of this back and forth had ultimately been utterly pointless because in the end Blake had been won over so long ago.

"Yang, I know I've caused you so much pain, and it's unforgivable of me," Blake was now kneeled in front of her, gently stroking her head as there was nothing else she knew was acceptable. "I was just so scared that you might blame me, that you'd never again look at me with a smile, and that thought was unbearable because I..." Her voice cracked and Yang felt her head against hers. "I love you, and you deserve so much better than me." The suspicion of such was incomparable to the sound of her saying those words with such raw emotion. Blake, usually so stoic and unbreakable, was breaking down in front of her because of the sheer desperation she felt in trying to make Yang understand.

"I don't care." Yang whimpered pathetically as she weakly raised her head. "Blake, I don't care what I _deserve_." Slender fingers were brushing golden curls from her face, so tender and full of affection that Yang's head was reeling at the unfamiliar yearning that came from knowing her feelings were returned. Her heart ached upon witnessing the tears in those beautiful golden eyes and she wanted nothing more than to make sure they never returned. "All I ever wanted was to know that you cared." She admitted weakly as she clung tightly to Blake's sleeve. "No more secrets between us, okay? No more doubting ourselves."

"Of course, Yang." Blake promised as she wiped away Yang's tears with her thumbs. The blonde suddenly felt the weight of her feelings hit her once more, now that she felt the need to vocalize them. She had to tell her, though. She could not bear to see Blake struggle for another moment with the uncertainty of baring herself like this. She was safe as long as she was in her arms.

"I love you so much, Blake." Suddenly she again could not hold back her tears and she was clutching onto Blake like a dying man desperate for his savior. "I _tried_  to hate you, I really really tried, but I just _can't_!" She tried to breathe to steady her voice, but it was an impossible battle. "And-And then I just tried to ignore you, but I couldn't do that either! Blake, I..." Another sob cut through her and Blake pulled her closer, a small sniffle betraying her own attempts to remain seemingly impervious.

"Shh, it's okay, Yang." Blake held her with such tender affection that she never wanted her to let go. Blake was her lifeline, like every breath she took was given to her by the faunus that clung to her in a desperate attempt to console her. "You don't have to say anything more." She told her in assurance, her voice so soft that Yang very nearly believed her. Regardless, she no longer had anything to say now that her feelings had been so readily admitted to. It was a weight from her shoulders and yet there was the dreadful vulnerability that replaced it, crushing her spirit by making her feel worthless like she so passionately loathed. "Come on. Let's get back to bed." Blake suggested as she helped Yang back to her feet, tenderly holding her hands. It suddenly occurred to her that Blake was holding her imposter hand and she tugged it away with a jolt. The sympathetic gaze that met her when she looked back killed her in so many ways. She didn't want Blake to pity her. It was the very last thing she wanted.

"I'm fine." Yang insisted as she pulled away her other hand, immediately missing the comforting touch. Blake frowned and reached out to grab the metal limb, stubborn as she met Yang's harsh glare.

"You can lie to Weiss to calm her nerves or to Ruby so she doesn't worry, but please," Her expression softened and her hand drifted up Yang's arm to the meeting point halfway up her bicep. Yang shuddered as her fingers traced the cuff that held the arm in place. "Don't lie to me. For any reason." Yang scowled and turned away, annoyed that Blake would demand honesty from her that she wouldn't even give to Ruby. "I'm asking you to do this for me, not demanding it." She flinched, unreasonably surprised that Blake was able to understand her so easily. Blake knew her better than most and even still, Yang had never been very good at a poker face.

"It's my burden, Blake." She insisted firmly, grabbing her wrist with her left to pull her hand away. It took only a moment before their fingers slipped between each other and now their hands were entwined and it almost scared her how natural it felt. "I don't want you to worry about me." She whispered, earning an amused smile from the dark haired faunus.

"I'll do that regardless." She admitted with a weak laugh. Her eyes drifted to their joined hands and slowly she guided Yang's hand to her stomach. "You're not the only one with scars, Yang." She reminded her softly. Yang inhaled sharply as her hand spread against Blake's shockingly warm midsection, but her attention was quickly grabbed by the strip of raised flesh that rest in the exact spot that his cursed sword had gone through her. She felt a surge of protectiveness, determined to never let anyone hurt her again. She would die before she let that happen.

"I...had a nightmare." Yang confessed as she glanced up to meet those burning golden eyes. They met her with sympathy and tender affection, welcoming her openness. "And...y-you got hurt and I couldn't do anything..." She sighed in frustration and shook her head, giving up on trying to explain it. If she went much further with that train of thought she was afraid she might start crying again. "I don't know what you wanted to hear."

"I only wanted to hear what you wanted to tell me." Blake replied cryptically. Her hands came to rest over Yang's which still pressed against her abdomen. She felt her breath hitch as those slender fingers gently traced her knuckles, one deviating to trace a heart on the back of her hand. She was reminded of Blake's earnest confession just minutes ago, of the shameless affection she held in her gaze. It felt stifling as it was simultaneously freeing. "We should go back to bed." Her eyes lifted to Blake's and a part of her wondered how long she had been staring at her faintly toned stomach with such distracted thoughts. Was that it? Were they done talking? It still felt like nothing had been accomplished because despite everything she still felt a suffocating distance between them.

Yang remained silent as Blake stepped away from her and walked past, leaving the kitchen empty and suddenly so much colder. Faced with the sudden solitude, Yang felt her hand shake, urging her to follow regardless of her personal thoughts on the matter. So she did. She turned around and quickly followed after Blake, grabbing her shoulder to stop her in the hall. She felt the agonizing sense of helplessness as Blake turned to face her, brows curved in worry. Her hand stopped shaking some time ago, but the way Blake stared at her had her fingers twitching as she ached to touch her. She withheld herself, however, for she could tell that with everything as it was right now _feelings_  had no place in their minds. They couldn't be getting distracted, as much as she yearned for it.

"Do...do you..." Yang chewed her lip unsurely, hesitant to ask. With their newfound connection she didn't want to go back to her mercilessly cold makeshift bed, forced to lay there alone agonizing over the words that had been exchanged. Maybe it was too much to hope for, but...a small part of her wanted Blake to join her instead of no doubt suffering the same fate. "Do you also...?"

"Have nightmares?" Blake finished the question for her, but it was one Yang had not thought to ask. Perhaps it was one Blake needed to answer and she had simply grabbed an excuse to do so. She kept her lips tight, now curious if her partner did indeed suffer nightmares about that night. "Of course I do, Yang. I was so scared of losing you, I..." Her eyes drifted away and Yang immediately wanted them back. "I don't think I've had a pleasant dream since." She released a shaky breath and met her eyes once more with a weak smile. "But I've resigned myself to this. It's about as much as I deserve, isn't it?" Though it was framed as a question Yang could easily tell that it had not been intended as such.

"Don't say that." She insisted, thoughtlessly reaching out to hold Blake's face purely because she could. Those shining golden eyes seemed dulled and still refused to look at her. It was completely unacceptable. "Blake, nobody blames you for what happened. _I_  don't blame you." Thankfully the faunus dared to look up and meet her gaze. "You don't deserve anything that's happened to you." She reaffirmed, gently pushing dark locks behind her human ear.

"It's hard to believe that." She admitted with a sarcastic laugh that truly hurt Yang's soul. "But thank you." She smiled genuinely and returned Yang's gentle caresses by turning to kiss her hand. She could hear her heartbeat pound furiously in her ears and for a fleeting moment wondered if those marvelous feline ears could hear it as well. "Come on. There's no telling how far we'll have to walk tomorrow so we should get some rest." Blake told her as she pulled away, much to Yang's dismay. They both stepped into the room that they had elected to share with their teammates. Ruby and Weiss still snoozed peacefully, both blissfully clueless to the burning turmoil that had recently been ignited between Yang and her partner.

Yang reluctantly sat down on her cot, her eyes inevitably drifting back to Blake. The faunus was padding at the straw pillow underneath her, visibly annoyed that she couldn't get it just right. The blonde cracked a smile at this behavior, remembering how Blake used to spend forever fluffing her pillow before finally laying down even back at Beacon. She felt the sudden need to walk over there and offer her arm as a pillow, but she knew better than to act on such stupid impulses. It was just that her cot felt so empty and it was so cold and she remembered how warm Blake had felt...

"Are you okay?" Blake asked her in a hushed whisper, ears angled back in worry. They were separated by both of their teammates, possibly in an effort to alleviate some of the awkwardness that was obviously between them, but now it only felt tortuous to have the faunus so far away. Yang opened her mouth to reply before thinking twice about it and admitted to herself with a defeated sigh that she was quite obviously not okay.

"Can you..." She cursed herself for even wanting it, but she yearned for it so much that she had to ask. If there was even the chance of Blake saying yes then she had to ask. "Can you lay with me?" Blake openly stared at her in silent surprise before cautiously standing up from her own cot and slowly walking over. "You know, it's cold and there's enough room so..." Yang attempted to reason as she moved to lay down, allowing Blake to slide into the cot beside her.

"I know." She assured her softly with sincerity spilling from her glimmering eyes, telling her that explanations were not necessary in the slightest. It seemed like the bed had instantly gotten warmer and she instinctively moved closer, resting her head against Blake's. The two faced each other, their legs entangled underneath the blanket and hands seeking purchase on the other's clothes. It would have been too intimate for her to feel any sort of comfort if it was anyone but Blake. For once she felt the stress and anguish slip from her shoulders and she eagerly pulled the cause of it closer to her.

"Hey..." Yang didn't want to go back to sleep just yet. She was too enthralled with Blake's face to even think of closing her eyes for more than a split second. Blake looked at her curiously and she was sure it was one of her favorite expressions the girl had ever given her. She was just so unbelievably adorable, and by the gods she adored her.

"What is it?" Blake asked when she remained silent and Yang laughed weakly as she was hit with a poor reminder of Blake's terrible choice in snacks.

"Ugh, you've got sardine breath." Yang told her with a hushed groan of disgust. Despite her complaint she was beaming with amusement and laughed more sincerely as Blake's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She huffed and looked away with the cutest pout Yang had ever seen on anyone. Even a five year old Ruby couldn't compete.

"Shut up." She grumbled, though still made an effort to cover her mouth. Yang happened to oblige for lack of ideas in what to say next and the two easily settled into a comfortable silence. Yang found herself simply admiring the girl that lay next to her. She didn't care if the gods were gone, that magic was gone, that humanity was truly a fraction of what it could be; right now, here in this moment, her life was perfect.

Yet now, with her attention drawn to Blake as a whole, Yang found herself wondering how the _faunus_ felt about their destination.

"Are you...scared of going to Atlas?" She knew Atlas was infamous for its connection to the Schnee family and that with this connection faunus mistreatment was rampant in the kingdom. She wanted to know now if Blake was uncomfortable joining them, in case she ever felt the need to speak up on her behalf.

"Maybe a little bit." She admitted softly. "I got rid of my ribbon since I had assumed I would be in Menagerie for..." She hesitated and regretfully glanced away. "...longer than I was, so if I wanted to hide my ears I'd have to find a new one. Otherwise I'd be dealing with a lot of strange looks. Especially considering Weiss is with us." She reasoned with pursed lips that Yang found her eyes drawn to. She had to remind herself that now was not the time for romance. She was already asking far too much of Blake with how close they lay to each other.

"If anybody gives you a hard time, I'll have your back." Yang promised her, adding a gentle squeeze of her waist. Blake smiled and though she might have imagined it, Yang could have sworn she leaned into the touch.

"I know you will." Her eyes fluttered closed and her head sank into the pillow as she was seemingly content with that being the end of their conversation. Yang, however, somehow still felt like there was something that needed to be said. An odd feeling of uneasiness filled her and she leaned farther into Blake, prompting the faunus to open her eyes again. Her breath hit Yang's neck and she desperately tried to ignore how much she simply wanted to melt into her.

"You remember Torchwick?" She fell back on nostalgic memories for her topic of discussion, eager to get her mind onto anything but the way Blake set a fire within her.

"Of course." Blake was either clueless to her intentions or simply played along, but from the playful smirk on her face Yang feared that it was the latter. "I distinctly remember a week or so when I couldn't get him off my mind. Luckily someone was there to snap me out of it." She was poking fun and Yang couldn't help but laugh as she wondered when things had fallen back into place.

"He got eaten by a griffon." She told her with smile despite herself. She remembered how distraught Ruby had seemed while she recalled the incident, how scarred she had been from seeing someone die in front of her eyes even if it was a worthless criminal. It paled in comparison to witnessing Pyrrha's death, however. Ruby had never told her, but from her sister's conversations with Jaune she could piece it together just as well. She felt awful that her baby sister, so innocent when first arriving at Beacon, had seen so much tragedy.

"No." Blake's voiced disbelief was soft like a dying breeze and Yang was abruptly pulled back into their conversation. She smiled in amusement despite her prior dour thoughts, unable to resist when the faunus looked so genuinely surprised.

"Yes." She confirmed with a short laugh. "Ruby told me so. She was there." At this Blake's expression fell and her pleasant surprise was replaced with shameful guilt. Yang stayed silent as she waited patiently for the moment to pass, instead simply threading her fingers through the dark curls that spilled across the pillow behind her.

"Well it's just about what he deserved." Blake finally managed with a bitter frown. "I'm still amazed that he managed to get the White Fang on his side." Yang frowned, disappointed in herself for bringing her partner's attention once again back to the lowly organization that likely haunted her dreams. She searched her memories for something to discuss, though most Beacon memories only served to remind her of everything that they'd lost. Then, suddenly, a smile stretched across her lips.

"You remember the dance?" She asked with delight in her eyes, the infectious expression spreading to Blake as she recalled the bittersweet memories. Yang remembered how close she had been to Blake, how in that single moment for just a second she was able to fool herself into thinking her dreams had come true. She remembered Team JNPR's dance and how everyone had laughed at them the day after when they learned that Ren had insisted that they train for it.

"Do I?" Blake practically beamed as she too recalled that day, no doubt thinking of the same moments that Yang was. "It's probably one of my most treasured memories. I'm immensely grateful that you convinced me to go, though I don't think I would have ever turned down your offer to dance." She admitted readily as she took Yang's hand into hers. Suddenly dread gripped her as she realized that with all that was going on they might never get that sort of chance again.

"I just wish we danced more than once..." She confessed, her eyes drifting down to their hands that pressed between them. Blake frowned and just a moment later was leaning closer to Yang to leave a soft kiss on the edge of her lips, leaving her aching for something more. She was trying to stay calm about it all, but Blake was making it immensely difficult to resist.

"Next time." She offered with a smile so full of affection that Yang promptly forgot her agitation. She smiled to match her partner and pulled her closer so that she could feel the warmth of her radiate across her own stomach. She smiled as their heads sank seamlessly against each other and Blake once again allowed herself to drift ever closer to sleep.

"Yeah. Next time." Yang whispered before allowing herself to do the same, clinging to Blake tightly as she welcomed sleep for the first time in what felt like ages.


End file.
